Bared (Club Sin 2)

The process couldn’t be rushed.

It didn’t matter that five years had passed since Lily’s death—he wasn’t ready. Cora knew that because he wasn’t facing his pain; he was hiding from it. She’d seen in her job the effects that had on a person if they were forced to deal with things they weren’t ready to face.

She didn’t want Aidan to hit rock bottom. She wanted to support him.

As she took another hard left into the East Silverado Ranch Boulevard, Cora sang along to the soft rock music blaring through her speakers. No one needed to tell her that her voice was not American Idol quality—she knew her pitch wasn’t perfect and she didn’t give one flying flip.

She spotted her redbrick bungalow on the suburban street. The music dulled in her ears and her mouth clamped shut. Her insides quivered as she squinted at her driveway. The closer she got, the more the thing came into focus.

“Fuck,” she muttered.

The problem wasn’t the sleek black sports motorcycle in the center of the driveway. Her concern lay with the sex packaged in a pair of blue jeans. More so, the powerful man staring at her as if daring her not to stop. While she was tempted to drive by with a little wave, she needed to clear up this misunderstanding.

She parked at the curb and heat rose in her body. With shaky hands, she exited the car, blowing out a slow breath. Of course Aidan would show up at her house. Why had she expected otherwise?

With a fake smile forming on her lips, tingles like jelly beans were dancing in her belly. He pushed off his bike and his warm expression caught her breath. Her gaze roamed over him, stirring places that shouldn’t stir at the moment. Lord, he was hot in his leather jacket.

His mouth held a slight curve as he met her halfway down the driveway with a steady gait. She inhaled deeply through her nose, forcing her fluttering stomach and puckering nipples to chill out.

“Hi.” She cleared her throat, placing her keys into her purse with trembling fingers. He’d never come to her house … ever. In fact, she’d never seen him outside of Club Sin. A cold sweat washed over her. Her throat tightened. “What brings you by?”

His head tilted from side to side as he regarded her, and then his gaze cut to the shopping bag in her hand. “What’s that?”

With a nibble to her bottom lip, she stared into his chiseled face, trying to get a read on him, which was unsuccessful. His emotions were very much in check. “Something for tonight.”

He crossed his arms, observing her with a flat expression. “You do plan on coming to the dungeon tonight?”

Cora gulped at the muscles bulging along his forearms. Her limbs shook, and she slid her arm through the handle of her purse and then stuffed her hands in the pockets of her skinny jeans. Somehow seeing Aidan out in public made him more real.

Her loins burned.

Yet her mind raced.

If only she knew his looks outside of Club Sin, maybe she could get a grip on herself. His intent was not clear. Though they had played together for two years, Aidan stuck to a D/s relationship in the dungeon, not out of it. She didn’t know his expressions outside of the club. He’d always been gentle or in full Dom mode. His half-lidded eyelids showed neither side right now.

She pondered his question, and then her blood ran cold. Did he plan to ban her from Club Sin until she talked to him? No, he couldn’t. He wouldn’t dare. “Am I not allowed to go?”

“Of course, you’re welcome.” He smiled politely, not genuinely. “I wasn’t sure if you would. If you felt up to it.”

Terrific.

Cora rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to have this talk, because as far as she was concerned there was nothing worth discussing. He wasn’t ready to go there, and neither was she. Hadn’t she made that perfectly clear last night? “I told you, Aidan, nothing’s wrong. I plan on coming to the dungeon and playing with you.” Good grief, first Presley, now Aidan. “Why can’t everyone listen to what I’m saying?” She yanked her hands from her pockets and gripped her purse. “I. Am. Fine!”

I. Do. Not. Want. To. Talk. About. It.

Believe. Me. Neither. Do. You.

He made a Hmmm noise in his throat. “I heard what you told me last night.” His expression became pensive with the arch of his brow. “I also heard what you didn’t say.”

Cora threw her hands up in an “I give up” gesture, nearly smacking herself in the face with her purse. Before she could snap out her reply, her neighbors strolled by with their German shepherd. They regarded Aidan with a keen eye and bright smiles. Wonderful. She ground her teeth at the looming conversation in which she explained to them that he wasn’t her boyfriend.

Her stomach hardened as she waved at them. The tension increased as she turned to Aidan. He’d taken a step closer, removing the distance. “Can we go inside? I’d like to talk to you.”

Fuck-fuckity-fuck-fuck-fuck!

What could she say—no? It’d only increase his belief that something was wrong and she was hiding from him. Which of course she was, but for his own good. And nothing was freaking wrong. She was okay with their relationship. She’d accepted it. And she was happy—’nuff said. “Come on.”

On her way to her cherry-red front door, her insides quivered. While part of her knew this conversation was coming, she sure as shit hadn’t expected it right now. Her hands trembled as she unlocked the door and entered her house, and her shoulders dropped as she glanced at the wide-screen television. She had planned to watch a chick flick before getting ready for tonight, not deal with Aidan and his questions.